1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to solid rod fencing. More particularly, this invention relates to fencing where new or used oil field sucker rods, or plain steel rods are assembled in to fence sections that can be installed on posts in 8, 12, 16, and 24 foot sections or to panels that are approximately 5 feet tall and 8 feet long.
2. Prior Art
Wood fencing has been utilized traditionally for many years to enclose areas of real estate. Typically, the main purpose of such fencing is to enclose and retain animals within a given space. Metal fencing has also been employed and more recently plastic fencing such as fence components made out of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). The present invention, on the other hand, utilizes new or used oil field sucker rods or plain steel rods of the similar size to create fence sections that can be installed onto posts in 8, 12, 16, and 24 foot sections. The rods are positioned to run horizontally with a perpendicular rod welded 2 feet from each end and every 3 or 4 feet in between. The sucker rods can also be made into panels to create portable livestock enclosures. The use of new or used sucker rods in such a manner is believed to be previously unknown.
A preliminary search was conducted on the above invention and the following listed patents were uncovered.
Purvis, U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,074 discloses a temporary guard rail system which uses slip joint 16 as connection means. See Column 5, Lines 25-30, where the segment 16d is described as being fabricated to an outside diameter that is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the external segment 16e. FIG. 7A shows the rail and the segment as being round where as FIG. 7 shows the corresponding members as being square or rectangular cross-section.
Peters, U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,547 discloses a prefabricated fence which uses slip joint connection 16 between fence sections.
Akins, U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,498 discloses a fence panel which is provided with bumpers 19. These resist the tendency of a post to sink into soft ground.
Knudslien, U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,424 discloses a fence panel which utilizes both mud feet and panel connectors 14 and 15.
New or used oil field sucker rods or plain steel rods are assembled into fence sections that can be installed onto posts in 8, 12, 16, and 24 foot sections. A predetermined number or rods (from 4 to 7) are positioned to run horizontally with a perpendicular rod welded two feet from each end and every 3 or 4 feet in between. The perpendicular rods xe2x80x9cstaysxe2x80x9d hold the fence section together and give the entire section structural strength. Furthermore, a slip coupling is welded on one end of each rod on the same end of the panel (the female end) to enable the fence sections to be joined together in a continuous fashion. The slip coupling is made from pipe with an inside diameter that will fit snugly over the end of rod being used in the fence section. In another embodiment the sucker rods are assembled into portable livestock panels. These panels are approximately 5 feet tall and 8 feet long. A predetermined number of rods (5 to 7) 8 feet in length, are positioned to run horizontally with a perpendicular rod 5 feet in length welded to each end and known as the legs. At the lower end of the legs, the steel is bent into a 90-degree turn which then extends approximately 12 inches parallel to the upper rails. The purpose of these extensions is to prevent the panel from sinking into the mud.